stevenpiziks (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stevenpiziks) wrote2022-12-23 10:49 am
stevenpiziks) wrote2022-12-23 10:49 am
The Covid Diaries 2: The Flattening
Monday I was feeling fairly gross. Darwin was in better shape. We drove down to the clinic, and called in. We were put through to the doctor, who asked if we wanted a Paxlovid scrip if we were positive, we said definitely did. The doctor also told us that we'd need the positive results before the pharmacy would give us scrips.
We waited in the car until a Very Nice Man came out, administered the tests, and told us to watch our emails for the results.
Back home, I was getting more and more miserable. Terrible malaise. Extreme fatigue. Aches. I was downing ibuprofen and DayQuil. I spent the day half-asleep on the couch, occasionally watching TV.
The next day, we waited for the results so we could get the Paxlovid, but the email didn't come. I was starting to feel better, but Darwin was in a bad way. He could barely sit up. I took to checking his blood oxygen levels every hour. Fortunately, they stayed above 95.
Meanwhile, I was half-panicking over my teaching. My seniors are working their way through HAMLET, and it's something that a substitute can't really help them with. But I was going to be out for the entire week before break, and when we get back, we'll only have a few days before exams. I can't give them other work and still expect to get through HAMLET by the end of the semester. So I ended up telling them to keep working on the play on their own as best they could and I'll have to deal with problems when I get back. My freshmen I set to watching the movie OF MICE AND MEN as a review for exams, and my mythology class worked on a small project relating to the Hero's Journey.
I was actually cleared to go back to work on Thursday, the last day before break, but Darwin was still very sick on Wednesday evening and didn't want to be left alone. Additionally, I still tired easily and realized I'd probably be wiped out after only an hour or two at work, so I decided to call in. I've lost four precious sick days to this thing, and the district stopped giving us teachers special covid sick leave because the federal money ran out.
On the other hand, my winter break has been extended for a week.
Reluctantly, we called off our holiday celebration--again. This is the third year in a row we've canceled due to covid. But Darwin will still be contagious by Christmas Day, and we have too many people who really, really can't afford to be exposed, especially to a variant that can elude the vaccine, as this one has.
We waited in the car until a Very Nice Man came out, administered the tests, and told us to watch our emails for the results.
Back home, I was getting more and more miserable. Terrible malaise. Extreme fatigue. Aches. I was downing ibuprofen and DayQuil. I spent the day half-asleep on the couch, occasionally watching TV.
The next day, we waited for the results so we could get the Paxlovid, but the email didn't come. I was starting to feel better, but Darwin was in a bad way. He could barely sit up. I took to checking his blood oxygen levels every hour. Fortunately, they stayed above 95.
Meanwhile, I was half-panicking over my teaching. My seniors are working their way through HAMLET, and it's something that a substitute can't really help them with. But I was going to be out for the entire week before break, and when we get back, we'll only have a few days before exams. I can't give them other work and still expect to get through HAMLET by the end of the semester. So I ended up telling them to keep working on the play on their own as best they could and I'll have to deal with problems when I get back. My freshmen I set to watching the movie OF MICE AND MEN as a review for exams, and my mythology class worked on a small project relating to the Hero's Journey.
I was actually cleared to go back to work on Thursday, the last day before break, but Darwin was still very sick on Wednesday evening and didn't want to be left alone. Additionally, I still tired easily and realized I'd probably be wiped out after only an hour or two at work, so I decided to call in. I've lost four precious sick days to this thing, and the district stopped giving us teachers special covid sick leave because the federal money ran out.
On the other hand, my winter break has been extended for a week.
Reluctantly, we called off our holiday celebration--again. This is the third year in a row we've canceled due to covid. But Darwin will still be contagious by Christmas Day, and we have too many people who really, really can't afford to be exposed, especially to a variant that can elude the vaccine, as this one has.